Vehicle top operating mechanism



a 12, 1931. P. PEDERSEN 1,805,184

VEHICLE TOP OPERATING MECHANISM Filed March 15. 1929 B Q W- L J 2 fi-gm C c J J0 l INVENTOR 1 Z Z] gm By Aiiorneys,

Fatented May 12, 1931 PAUL PEDERSEN, OF NEW. YORK, N. Y.

VEHICLE T6? vATINGr MECE-ZJHQ'ESM Application filed March 15, 1923. Serial No. 347,201

The present invention relates to a vehicle tially along the plane of the line 33 of top operating mechanism for lowering and Fig. 2. raising a vehicle top and aims to provide cer- Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially along tain improvements therein. the plane of the line 44 of Fig. 1. V 53 Heretofore various mechanical means have Referring to the drawings in the various 55 been devised for lowering and raising the top figures of which the same reference characof a vehicle and more particularly the top of ters are employed to designate like parts, let an automobile touring car, the rear top of a A indicate the body of a landaulet, which is landaulet and the rear top of a taxicab, but mounted upon a chassis E, said body being it?) for various reasons these devices have proven provided at its rear top with a flexible canopy deficient or impracticable and therefore have 13 supported upon a plurality of bows C, C not found their way into commercial use. and C which are pivotally mounted at their According to my present invention I proends as indicated at c, c and 0 respectively videa mechanism for the purpose set forth, to uprights or stiles D in a conventional manwhich is simple and sturdy in construction ner. The canopy B is likewise secured to the economical to manufacture and practically sides and rear of the body A in a conventional fool proof in operation, one which may be manner. readily incorporated into the present con- The flexible canopy B may be lowered and A struction of automobiles without requiring raised by moving the bow G about its pivots any change in the formation of either the 0, which action is readily accomplished by an automobile body or its top and one wherein operating mechanism which comprises a horithe automobile top may be securely held in Zontally disposed shaft F extending across any desired position intermediate its raised the rear of the body and through the opposite m and lowered extremes. sides thereof. The shaft F is supported in In its preferred construction the present suitable bearings G formed in castings which 7 invention consists of operating means for preferably conform to the interior of the lowering and raising the flexible canopy at sides of the body towhich they are secured the rear top of an automobile which canopy in any suitable manner. The ends of the h is mounted on pivotal supporting means, said shaft F extend outwardly from the sides of operating means comprising a rotatable shaft the body a substantial distance and are extending across the rear of the vehicle body formed near its ends with squared portions and passing'through the sides thereof and 7 upon which are fitted the ends of hinged supported thereby, means controllable by the or toggle brackets H, the opposite ends of W, operator for rotating said shaft, and means which are secured to the bow C near its top, carried by said shaft for movlng the canopy as indicated at h. To properly malntain the supporting means about their pivotal points brackets H in spaced relation to the body A as the shaft is rotated. The invention also and the bows C, C and C and to allow for embodies other features and details of conthe folding of the flexible canopy, spacing struction which will be hereinafter more fully sleeves 7 and h respectively are employed. described. The brackets H are secured to their respec- A preferred embodiment of my invention tive anchorages by cap nuts 7 and k respecis illustrated in the accompanying drawings, tively. wherein: The shaft F is preferably carried in suit- 47 Figure 1 is a side elevation of the rear porable bearings provided on a substantially tion of a landaulet with parts broken away rectangular frame J, which also serve to supto show the operating mechanism of the presport secondary shafts K, K and suppleent invention. mental shaft L in suitable bearings 70, 7c and Fig. 2is asection taken substantially along Z, Z respectively. The secondary shaft K a) the broken line 2-2 of Fig.1. is also supported in upright position in a Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken substanbearing m provided in a casting M mounted I from the main driving shaft of the automo- 'bile or from an independent source of power, ;such as an electric motor and controlled by a suitable clutch, the driving connection and clutch being not herein shown since they may be of any approved construction.

The secondary shaft K is adapted to be driven by the driving shaft N through the medium of a worm it carried by said shaft N in mesh with a gear 71: mounted on the shaft K. The secondary shaft K in turn is adapted to drive the secondary shaft ,K through the medium of the supplemental shaft L through miter gears Z and Z a respectively. The secondary shaft-s K and K in turn drive the shaft F at spaced apart points through the medium of the right and left threaded worms in and a, in mesh respectively with gears f". The advantage of this type of drive resides in the fact that the driving force may be applied at equal distances from the ends of the shaft and thereby better sustain the strains incident thereon while raising and lowering the canopy supporting bows.

For the purpose of cushioning the thrusts which might be imparted to the various sh 9 ts and their bearings, I propose to insert cushioning means, such as heavy coil springs 0 around the shaft F between the bearings G and j and cushioning blocks P around the secondary shafts K and K between the frame J and the chassis E.

From the foregoing description it wil be apparent that upon rotation in either direction of the driving shaft N, which is controllable by the operator, rotation will be communicated through the various driving connections to the shaft F to open or close the toggle brackets H, and thereby move the bows about their pivot points to raise or lower the flexible canopy of the landaulet. It will also be apparent that rotation of the shaft F may be arrested so as to hold the brackets H in an intermediate position between its closed and open extremes to hold the canopy in a partially open posit-ion if such adjustment is desired. It will also be apparent that the canopy will be maintained in any adjusted position until moved at the will of the operator since the shaft F will be held against rotation by the worms 70 and 70 except when driven thereby.

\Vhile I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the specific details of construction herein disclosed, since modifications thereof may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

IVhat I claim is:

1. A vehicle top lowering and raising mechanism, comprising a rigid frame disposed within the vehicle body substantially parallel to the rear wall thereof, said frame having bearings therein, a horizontally disposed shaft carried by said frame, the ends of said shaft extending through the opposite sides of the vehicle body at the rear thereof, toggle brackets connected to the ends of said shaft and to the vehicle top, means carried by said frame for rotating said shaft, and driving means controllable by the operator of the vehicle for driving said first named means.

2. A vehicle top lowering and raising mechanism, coun'irisiug a substantially rectangular rigid frame disposed within the vehicle body substantially parallel to the rear wall thereof, said, frame having bearings thereon, a horizontally disposed shaft supported in bearin on said frame, the ends of said shaft extending through the opposite sides of the vehicle body at the rear thereof, secondary shafts supported in hearings on said frame and angularly disposed with relation to the first shaft, driving means on said secondary shafts for simultaneously imparting equal rotative force to said first shaft at spaced apart points which are equi-distant from the respective ends of the shaft, and rotatable means controllable by the operator of the vehicle for driving one of the secondary shafts.

8. A vehicle top lowering and raising mechanism, comynrising a substantially rectangular frame having bearings thereon disposed uprightly within the vehicle body near the rear wall thereof, ahorizontally disposed shaft supported in hearings on said frame, the ends of said shaft extending through the opposite sides of the vehicle body at the rear thereof, secondary shafts supported in bearings on said frame and angula-rly disposed with relation to the first shaft, right and left hand threaded worms on said respective secondary shafts in mesh with gears on said first shaft for simultaneously imparting rotation to said first shaft at spaced apart points, one of said secondary shafts being driven by the other secondary shaft through a supplemental shaft supported in hearings on the frame, and rotatable means controllable from the interior of the vehicle for driving one of the secondary shafts.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

PAUL PEDER-SEN. 

